'Straw that breaks the camel's back'

Tuesday

Jun 26, 2012 at 2:00 AM

Is your face ready for FaceTime? Or have you suddenly noticed that some of your features are a bit flabby, fat or wrinkled when seen on social media chatting technology? Does your chin look weak — or doubled?

Kathy Swanwick

Is your face ready for FaceTime? Or have you suddenly noticed that some of your features are a bit flabby, fat or wrinkled when seen on social media chatting technology? Does your chin look weak — or doubled?

Maybe seeing your face from the unflattering angle of looking down into your handheld device has made you reassess the straightforward view you're accustomed to seeing every morning in the mirror.

That sometimes uncomplimentary perspective is becoming the "straw that breaks the camel's back," said Dr. Adam Schaffner, a New York city plastic surgeon who specializes in aesthetic plastic surgery of the face, breast and body.

Facial flaws that may already have been somewhat bothersome can produce a whole new level of anxiety when seen, for example, from under the chin, he said.

"I am seeing people specifically from the mid-Hudson Valley requesting chin implants and other aesthetic procedures as a result of their appearance on social media," said Schaffner.

"They may say 'I saw my turkey neck' or 'I saw my jowls on my iPhone, iPad, Skype, Facebook, YouTube or another social media outlet and did not like it.'"

Indeed, 20,680 chin implants were performed in the U.S. last year, an increase of 71 percent over 2010, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

"A chin implant can strengthen one's jawline, provide better balance to the face, and improve the appearance of jowls and the neckline," said Schaffner.

"I think you might enhance your chin if it doesn't fit the proportions of the rest of your facial features. It's a very straightforward procedure," said Dr. R. Michael Koch of the New York Group for Plastic Surgery in Goshen.

And, he noted, it's a procedure that's being done even on younger people, in their 20s and 30s.

Koch said, though, that none of his patients has yet cited video chatting technology as a reason for wanting to have some work done.

Both doctors stressed that they perform extensive consultations with possible patients for any procedure, including a thorough medical exam, a complete history and determining the patient's expectations.

Also, whether a patient opts for Botox, a mini-face-lift, injectable fillers, or a chin implant, he needs to be counseled about possible complications and risks, side effects and costs.

The average price tag for a chin implant is about $3,000, money many people feel is well spent, said Schaffner.

He acknowledged, though, that "one can become preoccupied with one's appearance in general."

"The need for instant gratification and quick fixes are pandemic, so I am not surprised at the increase in corrective surgery," said Dianna Chillo, LCSW, of Dr. Michele Winchester-Vega & Associates, in New Windsor. "The real work is building the internal relationship with one's self that is not defined by one's outer appearance and the pressures of how they feel viewed by others."

Still, said Schaffner, social media-motivated surgeries will continue to be popular, especially in a tough job market where people need to look their best and most vibrant to remain competitive.

"There is always room for improvement as we age," he said. "We want to look as good as possible to reflect how energetic one feels in the inside."